Linear guideway and circulation module thereof

Abstract

A circulation module of a linear guideway for being installed on a sliding block, comprises two circulation tubes each having a fill-in opening, two rolling units respectively arranged into the circulation tubes via the fill-in openings, and two separating sheets respectively installed on the circulation tubes to shield the fill-in openings. When the circulation tubes coupling through the sliding block, the fill-in openings respectively expose from two opposite ends of the sliding block, and part of each rolling unit arrange out of the corresponding circulation tube is disposed on the sliding block. Thus, the instant disclosure provides the circulation module for receiving the rolling units quickly and simplifying the construction of an end cap module mating thereto. Moreover, the instant disclosure also provides a linear guideway.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A circulation module of a linear guideway for being installed on a sliding block, the circulation module comprising:
 two circulation tubes, wherein each circulation tube includes a straight portion and two U-like cornering portions respectively extended from two opposite ends of the straight portion, and one of the cornering portions of each circulation tube has a fill-in opening formed on a portion thereof adjacent to the straight portion, 
 wherein the straight portion of each circulation tube is configured for coupling through the sliding block, and the cornering portions of each circulation tube are configured for respectively protruding out of two opposite ends of the sliding block; 
 two rolling units each having a plurality of rolling pillars, wherein the two rolling units are respectively arranged into the two circulation tubes via the fill-in openings; and 
 two separating sheets respectively installed on the circulation tubes to shield the fill-in openings, 
 wherein when the circulation tubes are coupled through the sliding block, the fill-in openings respectively expose from the two opposite ends of the sliding block, the cornering portions having the fill-in opening of each circulating tube is arranged farther away from the sliding block than the adjacent other cornering portions without the fill-in opening of another circulating tube. 
 
     
     
       2. A linear guideway, comprising:
 a guide rail having two opposite rolled grooves; 
 a sliding block having a mating trough slidably mounted on the guide rail, the sliding block having four accommodating channels respectively penetrating two opposite portions thereof and respectively arranged at two opposite sides of the mating trough; 
 two circulation modules respectively fixed on the opposite portions of the sliding block, each circulation module comprising:
 two circulation tubes respectively coupling through two adjacent accommodating channels, each circulation tube having a straight portion and two U-like cornering portions respectively extended from two opposite ends of the straight portion, 
 wherein in each circulation module, the straight portion of each circulation tube is configured to couple through the corresponding accommodating channel, the two cornering portions of each circulation tube are respectively protruding out of two opposite ends of the sliding block, and one of the cornering portions of each circulation tube includes a fill-in opening formed on a portion thereof adjacent to the straight portion; 
 two rolling units each having a plurality of rolling pillars, wherein in each circulation tube, the two rolling units are respectively arranged into the two circulation tubes via the fill-in openings; and 
 two separating sheets, 
 wherein in each circulation module, the cornering portion having the fill-in opening of each circulating tube is arranged farther away from the sliding block than the adjacent other cornering portion without the fill-in opening of another circulating tube, and wherein in each circulation tube, the two separating sheets are respectively installed on the two circulation tubes to shield the fill-in openings; 
 
 two retainers respectively arranged in the two rolled grooves of the guide rail and installed on the sliding block, wherein the retainers are configured to position and keep the positions of the circulation modules with respect to the guide rail; and 
 two end cap modules fixed on the sliding block and slidably mounted on the guide rail, and the end cap modules respectively covering the portions of the circulation modules protruding out of the sliding block, wherein part of the rolling pillars of each rolling unit arranged out of the sliding block are spaced apart from the adjacent end cap module by the corresponding circulation tube and the corresponding separating sheet. 
 
     
     
       3. The linear guideway according to  claim 2 , wherein the length of the straight portion of each circulation tube is greater than the length of the corresponding accommodating channel, a portion of the straight portion of each circulation tube adjacent to the fill-in opening is protruding out of the sliding block. 
     
     
       4. The linear guideway according to  claim 2 , wherein each rolled groove has two loaded side walls, the inner surface of the mating trough is formed with two carrying walls respectively facing the loaded side walls, the carry walls together with the faced loaded side walls are respectively corresponding to the accommodating channels. 
     
     
       5. The linear guideway according to  claim 4 , wherein each carrying wall defines a perpendicular bisector, the perpendicular bisectors of two adjacent carrying walls are perpendicular to each other and respectively passing through the centers of the corresponding accommodating channels; wherein the ends of the cornering portions of each circulation tube are disposed on the corresponding carrying wall.